Sgt. Pepper's Dismissed Tracks

So as we all know and has been discussed a few thousand times, Sgt. Pepper's is now considered overrated by many and Revolver has taken the crown for best Beatles album. I don't want to talk about that as much as more specific tracks on the album that seem to get dismissed by a lot around here.

Those being (from what I've seen);
Fixing a Hole
Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
Within You Without You
When I'm Sixty-Four
Lovely Rita

Interestingly these all rank as my favourites on the album along with A Day In the Life. Also I left out Good Morning Good Morning because while it's rarely mentioned all I do read about it is how underrated and good it is.

So the question is: What do you think of these songs and do you think the criticism is warranted?

 

Within You Without You is the best song on the album.

 

Here are my thoughts on each:

Fixing a Hole - One of the best psychedelic pop songs ever written. Fantastic atmosphere and production.

Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite - One of my favourite all time songs. Incredibly unique and atmospheric. I have never heard a song so perfectly encapsulate a place or environment before, and the trippy bit is pure genius and one of the best moments in music, surely.

Within You Without You - My favourite Harrison song. I also like long songs and this is one of the few longer songs by the band. Perfectly paced too. Gorgeous lyrics and sitar stuff.

When I'm Sixty-Four - Perhaps the best example of Paul's granny songs (and the only one of 2 that deserve the title imo). The way it flows on from the last song is just so perfect as well in such an odd way. As for the song itself it's a fantastic little song with a ton of character and superb lyrics.

Lovely Rita - This song manages to have the coolest intro and outro sequences ever (I like my 'all-time best' type statements don't I, but I do mean it). It's also THE best psych pop song ever written (there I go again), a genre of which I'm a massive fan of. Always loved this to bits and it's one of the best examples of The Beatles great lyrical story telling songs.

 

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band would be the greatest album of all time with the inclusion of Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane replacing Lovely Rita and Fixing A Hole.

 

Ouch. You could replace only one of them. There's only 13 songs on the album.

 

I think everything on it is amazing, except "Within You" and "When I'm 64." A song that belonged on an Indian-themed Harrison solo album, and some of Paul's "granny music."

I know there's some love for George's song, but it really doesn't do much melodically to justify it's 5-minute running time. I like "The Inner Light" and "Love You To" just fine, but those had a lot more happening musically...more of a bridge between Indian music and pop melodicism. "Within You" just sticks out like a sore thumb, but after really coming into his own the previous year, it seemed like George really went through a slump in '67. I don't think "Northern Song" would've been any better...rejecting it for Pepper was definitely the right call.

 

I agree with the OP's songs except for Lovely Rita, which I think is a genuinely good and interesting song.

 

Absolutely agreed on the last bit. Northern Song is garbage, but even if I didn't think that, I don't think it suits the album at all. I know that sounds hypocritical because Within You doesn't either, but somehow that just works to me. Purely subjective reasoning. I can't even explain why I think that, it just does. Maybe because I'm just used to it being there,not sure.

 

I, personally love When I'm 64, one of my favorites on the album.

chad

 

I think Within You fits on Pepper because there is an undercurrent of Indian music/instrumentation on the album (e.g. Lucy In the Sky, Getting Better). Also, the guitar solos on the title track and Good Morning are both Indian flavoured.

Only A Northern Song, on the other hand, is one of the Beatles’ worst songs.

 

Love them all except for Within which I like, and Kite which I think is on the bottom level Beatles songs.

Replacing Kite and Good Morning you mean. Or Within you without you, which I like but it does maybe seem a bit out of place.

 

It also doesn't fit the album because it involves no other Beatles. Which is not the only Beatles track that fits that description, but it feels especially out of place on Pepper, which feels like such a group effort otherwise. I just think the track belonged on a side-project, which I guess wasn't a thing band members did in the mid-60's. Replace it with the SFF/Penny Lane single tracks, and you literally have a perfect Beatles record. Which bums me out, since I love George, but he just wasn't delivering during that year, for whatever reason. (I like "It's All Too Much" a lot, but even that would feel like a total throwaway next to everything else on the record)

 

Fixing A Hole is the song I'd give up for Only A Northern Song only because side 1 is missing a George vocal. I don't think too highly of Within You Without You either.

The other underrated songs are great. Especially Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!

 

Fixing a Hole is about as close to being a jazz tune as anything they ever recorded. As with Paul's best tunes, he made great use of the scale. A use that few have ever approached. The four notes of "where it will go" still strike a special spot in the old brain/heart.

When I'm 64 is a virtually perfect piece of songcraft that many people don't like because of style or genre. Again, fine use of scale, concise, witty and rather sophisticated. It could have been written by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Harry Warren or the Gershwins.

 

I'm not one of those who think Sgt. Pepper is overrated. Love "Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite" "Lovely Rita" and "Fixing A Hole". "When I'm 64" is fine too. "Within You Without You" is brilliant and grounds the album.

Agree that "Only A Northern Song" wouldn't fit -not because it's a bad song think it's brilliant , but it's dark warped psychedelic vibe would be out of place on Pepper IMO

 

I totally understand what you're saying (and agree about George's other '67 tracks), but I just love the song too much. Although, Strawberry Fields would have made for a better inclusion (despite that Within You wouldn't make for a good single) absolutely for not having all the issues you mentioned and because the song is incredible. Penny Lane too but I don't like the song as much. Shame Strawberry Fields couldn't have been in the album as well given that it's only 13 tracks long.

 

I agree, it purposely sounds off-kilter musically (through odd chords and being out of tune and whatnot), whereas the only things that sound a little 'off' or sinister that happens on the album is done through atmosphere, like on Benefit and A Day In the Life. Doesn't sound like much but is a big difference and enough to feel out of place.

 

I for one am thankful that SF and PL aren't on the album (perfect as is) and instead can hold the title of greatest two-sided single ever.

 

I wish I loved it...I appreciate it for being something different, but it just drags on for me. Guess I'm just not into the drone thing.

 

Yes. On one hand adding a song or replacing would make the album better but then Mystery Tour suffers and so does the single.

 

Totally don't blame you, especially if you're more of a melody oriented guy. It's a song that grew on me over years, so I get it.

 

I like all of them except “When I’m Sixty Four”, which, well-written as it may be, is just totally unnecessary cornball stuff.

“Fixing A Hole” though is quite the underrated Paul song around these parts, IMO, with a great little guitar solo. I’ve never understood the bad rap it gets, it’s one of Paul’s best psych songs of the period, easily.

“Within You Without You” is, of course, great.

“Lovely Rita” is wonderful, as is “Mr Kite”.

 

Within You Without You is such a flowing piece, almost like some thicker version of water. A whole new stream of consciousness thing for it's time. Just the instrumental track is lovely.

Rita is a great combo of a music hall piece with kind of a jazz club piano toward the end. The vocal is a combination of prim and proper diction and rock'n roll. With an outstanding rock bass line underpinning it all.

Mr. Kite creates a sonic virtual reality. Who can't see the billing poster, see 1-3 circus rings or Henry the Horse? Who can't smell popcorn and cotton candy?

 

I am, but also think it just sticks out like a sore thumb on a Beatles record. I mean, I've grown up in an era where almost anyone in a successful band gets to have side-projects/solo albums/etc for their self-indulgent whims, genre experiments, or anything else that doesn't fit in with their main thing. "Within You" always seemed to me more of an obligation...George always had a song on a Beatles record, but all he had was a meandering 5-minute Indian piece, or "Northern Song." I think I'd be kinder to it if he'd figured out how to incorporate the other Beatles into it somehow...a true fusion of that music with some kind of Beatles instrumentation would've been really interesting.

And oddly, the beginning of side two was the least obtrusive place for them to put it in the album sequencing. I don't hate it, but when I think about the songs from those sessions that got siphoned off for a 45...you can't help but wonder "what if."

 

I guess my counterpoint would be that it was a wonderful illustration of how large the Beatle musical universe had become. Rock bands didn't do things like that. It's why they were transcendent.